Exercise is often recommended in treating type 1 (insulin- dependent) and type 2 (noninsulin- dependent) diabetes ~ both as a stand-alone activity and in combination with diet and drug therapy. For people who are heavily dependent on medicines, exercise cannot replace drugs but it does contribute to normalizing the glucose metabolism.
Exercise helps diabetes sufferers in many ways. Weight is easier controlled when exercising regularly. Blood sugar level, which is a major concern for all diabetes sufferers, is lowered, thanks to exercise. Additionally, exercise lessens the probability of a heart disease, which is also very wide-spread among diabetes sufferers.
Also, regular exercise helps to improve one~s overall condition and this way reduces the risk of long-term complications. Regular exercise can even prevent diabetes in people who still have not developed it but are susceptible to it.
Despite the numerous advantages of exercise, do not underestimate the risks. Let your doctor decide if taking exercise is recommendable for you and if yes ~ what kind of exercise will be less risky. One of the dangers for diabetes sufferers are that exercise might change your reaction to insulin or might lead to an abrupt drop in blood sugar level, which is another risk for you.
In addition to the general advice for exercising, there are some tips, which for diabetes sufferers are especially important to follow. For them wearing comfortable shoes (and clothes) is a must because the occurrence of a single blister on the foot might lead to a serious infection that requires time and drugs to heal.
Special attention should be paid to drinking enough water and any kinds of liquid in order to avoid dehydration. Dehydration during exercising occurs because the body evaporates liquid in order to keep cool and if you do not drink water while exercising, you will get dehydrated, which is bad for your blood sugar level.
So, what kind of exercise is recommended? Exercise can be any physical activity ~ from cleaning the house, to regularly climbing the stairs, to strength training. It all depends on the physical condition.
Generally household chores that take 20-30 minutes a day and do not require much effort reduce the daily insulin requirement and are risk free. Also, many doctors usually recommend aerobic exercise ~ walking, jogging, bicycling, or aerobics.
If you have problems with the nerves in the legs or feet, then chair exercises, bicycling, or swimming can be a wise choice, because they do not strain the lower limbs. If you do not have problems with the lower limbs, then you can undertake walking or jogging.
If you are young or do not have diabetes-related complications, even strength training is OK. However, it is mandatory that your doctor approves strength training. Even better, exercise only in the presence of a personal instructor! Strength training exercises make one~s muscles to more actively demand glucose and have a positive effect on the glucose metabolism. Besides, strength training minimizes the lean mass and helps in keeping weight under control.
Denny Santi is the Staff Writer of Diabetes SERV. His site has a great collection of information on diabetes, including a free newsletter, resources and related articles. For great information, go to: http://www.diabetesserv.com
You are no doubt aware that exercise can help prevent... Read More
After the initial shock of diagnosis wears off and we... Read More
Diabetes can briefly be defined as a state when the... Read More
Avandia, a compound of rosiglitazone maleate, is an oral antidiabetic... Read More
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are becoming quite popular for people... Read More
One of the biggest mistakes that weight loss failures make... Read More
Diabetic frozen shoulder is a major problem. The pain and... Read More
Dietary considerations can present a Hobson's choice in diabetes. Even... Read More
Syndrome X or the X factor as it is sometimes... Read More
Now you can help make every test strip count as... Read More
Many cases of diabetes go unnoticed or unchecked before a... Read More
The term diabetes refers to higher than normal levels of... Read More
Meal planning includes choosing healthy foods, eating the right amount... Read More
Diabetic Neuropathy, a nerve disorder caused by diabetes, is characterized... Read More
The following information is for educational purposes only and is... Read More
There are two main types of diabetes, type I and... Read More
When you go to work, your diabetes goes with you.You... Read More
Damage from diabetes can occur in different areas of the... Read More
Early symptoms diabetesStay alert in recognizing early symptoms of diabetes.... Read More
Type I diabetes is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes or... Read More
Most of the time, we focus on health or skin... Read More
Adult onset diabetes, like the common ulcer of a few... Read More
Here is some commonsense thinking:I can't understand why anyone who... Read More
Diabetes affects around 16 million Americans and about 800,000 new... Read More
Diabetes!!!Open your eyes to the catastrophic effects of Diabetes. The... Read More
In the United States there are around 17 million people... Read More
Exercise is often recommended in treating type 1 (insulin- dependent)... Read More
It's been a year, and 85 blubbery pounds less, since... Read More
What sank the "Unsinkable Ship" the Titanic was not the... Read More
While exercise and eating guidelines are based on good scientific... Read More
Type 1 diabetes was formerly known as juvenile diabetes or... Read More
Why is it that the smallest paragraph in diabetes prevention... Read More
Are you a diabetic? If so, you are definitely not... Read More
Diabetes affects the manner in which the body handles carbohydrates,... Read More
Early symptoms diabetesStay alert in recognizing early symptoms of diabetes.... Read More
Meal planning includes choosing healthy foods, eating the right amount... Read More
While exercise and eating guidelines are based on good scientific... Read More
Damage from diabetes can occur in different areas of the... Read More
Diabetes affects around 16 million Americans and about 800,000 new... Read More
In the United States there are around 17 million people... Read More
When you go to work, your diabetes goes with you.You... Read More
There are two main types of diabetes, type I and... Read More
Having diabetes certainly limits some of the food you can... Read More
Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy.... Read More
Now you can reduce the pain and inconvenience of testing.... Read More
Imagine how it feels to look younger, feel younger, and... Read More
A diabetic diet is a specially designed eating plan that... Read More
Have you heard about the diabetes breakthrough that lowers blood... Read More
Diabetes, which affects more than 6% of the US population... Read More
Why is it that the smallest paragraph in diabetes prevention... Read More
Your car has an early detection system and so does... Read More
Insulin has two critical roles in the body that we... Read More
It's been a year, and 85 blubbery pounds less, since... Read More
By the time many type 2 diabetics (and often their... Read More
THE RISKBlood sugar balance is critical to your body's proper... Read More
Diabetes Mellitus is one of the most costly burdensome chronic... Read More
Benfotiamine made headlines globally in 2003 when researchers released information... Read More
After the initial shock of diagnosis wears off and we... Read More
This is the second article in a series I am... Read More
In some medical circles it's called Type 3 Diabetes. Teenagers... Read More
What are normal blood sugar levels? Fasting (blood sugar level... Read More
Fruit gives you energy, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.Examples of fruits... Read More
Diabetes Type 2 (adult onset)Refined carbs/sugars are actually the biggest... Read More
The following information is for educational purposes only and is... Read More
The term diabetes refers to higher than normal levels of... Read More
Was there a time when you relished the idea of... Read More
Diabetes |